Haitian President Jovenel Moise assassinated in private residence

The nation of Haiti woke up Wednesday morning to the gory news of the assassination of president Jovenel Moise. 

Reports carry that the president was attacked in his private residence overnight by unidentified attackers. The government described the act as "barbaric", escalating fear in the nation.

"A group of unidentified individuals, some of them speaking Spanish, attacked the private residence of the president of the republic and thus fatally wounded the head of state," said Interim Prime Minister Claude Joseph on national television.

The Prime Minister urged the citizens to remain calm as the situation was "under control". He added that the government had declared a state of emergency amid the rising concerns of who would take on the leadership of the country.

In recent months, the Caribbean nation has seen series of gang violence in Port-au-Prince, humanitarian crisis, and political unrest which is suspected to be the reason for the assassination. The civil unrest turned many districts of the nation's capital into no-go areas.

The First Lady, Martine Moise sustained a gunshot injury from the attack. The PM urged the citizens that the police and army had the whole situation under control, Reuters reported.The assassination has been condemned by the U.S. government and neighboring Latin American countries. U.S. president Joe Biden has expressed his concerns towards the disheartening event and assures the Haitian nation that the United States will support in whatever way it can.

"All measures are being taken to guarantee the continuity of the state and to protect the nation," PM Joseph added.

Some neighboring Latin American countries have begun to cut ties with Haiti over growing concerns of political unrest, civil disorder, and growing hunger. Recently, the Dominican Republic president Luis Abinader said he was closing the border with Haiti on the Caribbean island of Hispaniola.

"This crime is against the democratic order of Haiti and the region," Dominican president Abinader said.

It is unclear who will succeed president Moise as the new prime minister he appointed last week is yet to be sworn in while the head of the Supreme Court of Justice who is a contender for the position according to the constitution, died of Covid-19 last month and is yet to be replaced.